The creature was a nightmare given flesh. Its body was half-shadow, half-beast, and yet neither — black smoke trailed from its joints, claws scraped long sparks into the stone, and when it opened its maw, the stench of decay rolled out like a wave. Its tongue was forked, its teeth endless rows that ground together with a wet click.The air thickened with killing intent.Meiyun stepped forward without hesitation, blade raised high. Her aura surged, steel flashing with pale light. "Stay behind me!"The beast lunged, its bulk moving faster than its size should allow. Meiyun's sword slashed down in a silver arc, cutting through the haze. Steel bit deep into its shoulder — but instead of blood, only smoke hissed free. The monster shrieked, a sound that rattled their bones, then swept one long claw across the chamber.Stone exploded. Meiyun twisted away just in time, but even the glancing strike tore a line of blood across her arm."Damn it—it's not flesh!" she spat.Yunxi pressed a talisman against her own palm, weaving seals with frantic speed. She slapped her glowing hand against the ground, and light erupted in a binding circle, chains of flame lashing up to coil around the monster's limbs.The beast screamed again, body thrashing as the chains seared through shadow and smoke. For a heartbeat, it slowed—Then the chains cracked.Jiang Hao exhaled, his entire body trembling as he pushed off the wall. The backlash burned through him like wildfire; every muscle screamed. But when the beast snapped free and surged forward again, golden light flickered in his eyes."Enough." His voice cut through the chaos, soft yet absolute.He stepped forward, fingers curling as if gripping an invisible seal. For a moment, the cavern itself seemed to hold its breath. Yunxi's eyes widened—she recognized the shift.Seal Two.Golden cracks blazed along Jiang Hao's arm, crawling up to his shoulder. The air warped around him, heavy with raw immortal force. His hair lifted, black strands tipped with shimmering gold, his features sharpening until he looked less like a man and more like a celestial spirit descending.But with that beauty came agony. His veins burned like molten rivers, every pulse a hammer against his ribs. The backlash struck instantly, a spike of pain that nearly dropped him to his knees. He gritted his teeth, refusing to yield.The beast lunged again. Jiang Hao raised his hand and met it head-on.The impact shook the cavern. Golden force erupted from his palm, blasting the shadow-beast backward into the far wall. The stone cracked under the sheer weight of the strike, dust raining down in sheets.Yunxi stared at him in shock, torn between awe and fear. His aura was terrifying, far greater than any elder she had ever seen — but it was the sight of his blood, dripping freely from the corners of his eyes, that twisted her chest.Jiang Hao staggered, swaying on his feet, golden light bleeding from the cracks in his skin. Still, he lifted his chin, glaring at the beast as though daring it to rise again.The monster twitched, half its body dissolving into smoke, but it did not fall. It pulled itself upright, eyes gleaming brighter than before.The fight wasn't over.Jiang Hao clenched his fist tighter, ignoring the tearing sensation ripping through his arm.If this seal breaks me, so be it, he thought grimly. But I'll protect them. Even if I burn out.The chamber filled again with the sound of claws on stone — the beast readying its next charge.And Jiang Hao, radiant and broken all at once, stepped forward to meet it.The monster's charge was like a storm collapsing inward, its claws raised high, its form blotting out the green glow of the moss. Each step cracked the stone, each shriek rattled the marrow of their bones.Jiang Hao's golden eyes narrowed, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. The golden fissures running up his arm spread wider, crawling across his neck like molten lightning. His skin glowed faintly, the aura of a god wrapped around mortal flesh.The backlash surged again, worse than before. It felt as if a thousand knives scraped along his veins, fire eating him from within. His vision swam, the world dimming at the edges. But still, he moved.When the beast's claw came down, Jiang Hao met it with his fist.The cavern detonated.A golden shockwave tore outward, smashing the monster back into the wall. Stone exploded in all directions; Yunxi threw herself over Jiang Hao's back to shield him, while Meiyun planted her sword into the floor, channeling her qi to steady the collapsing chamber. Dust and fragments filled the air, deafening roars overlapping with the sound of splitting rock.When the dust cleared, Jiang Hao stood in the center, one knee bent, blood dripping down his arm. His knuckles were raw, torn, yet they gleamed faintly with immortal radiance. The beast writhed against the wall, half its body seared away by golden light, smoke screaming from its wounds."Not… enough," Jiang Hao hissed through clenched teeth. His knees shook. Each heartbeat threatened to break him.The beast shrieked and lunged again, desperate and furious. Its claws cut the air—"Jiang Hao!" Yunxi's cry split the chaos. She threw a talisman, fire chains erupting once more to bind the beast's limbs. At the same time, Meiyun's sword flashed with killing intent, slicing clean through the shadow-smoke where the beast's chest should be.Together, their combined strike slowed it just long enough.Jiang Hao drew in a final ragged breath, raised his glowing fist, and released everything left in him."Seal… Burst!"The words cracked like thunder. Golden light erupted from his arm, cascading outward in a blinding wave. It was not technique, not skill, but pure sealed divinity tearing free. The force obliterated the beast, ripping it apart from within. Its scream echoed, warping into silence as its body disintegrated into ash and smoke.The cavern shuddered one last time — then fell still.Jiang Hao collapsed forward, catching himself on one hand. Blood gushed from his nose and mouth, his skin scorched with glowing cracks. His vision blurred, but he could still hear Yunxi's frantic voice and feel Meiyun's steady grip on his other arm."Enough, stop using it!" Yunxi cried, tears streaking her cheeks.Meiyun's voice was lower, but it shook. "Idiot… you're killing yourself."Jiang Hao's lips curved faintly, though his body trembled with unbearable pain. "Still… nine to five. Overtime's over."Then his body gave out, and darkness closed in.The last thing he felt was warmth — Yunxi's arms catching him, Meiyun's qi flowing desperately into his body — before unconsciousness claimed him completely.Far beneath the ruined altar, golden symbols flared once more in the stone. The same whisper from before rippled out, sharper now, laced with hunger:"The second seal burns. Soon, the third will awaken."
